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How to treat diaper rash seems as though it would be simple; keep the baby's diaper changed. Unfortunately, the reality is that changing a diaper is not enough to keep your little darling's tushy from developing the rash.

Whether you use cloth or disposable diapers, one thing to consider is how to minimize the amount of time the baby will be in a wet or soiled diaper. Take a tip from the day-care industry. Diapers are typically changed on a schedule. As a guideline, change the baby upon waking and before going down for a nap or the night. Once the baby is spending more time awake, diapers should be changed every two hours or sooner if your nose suggests that the baby has eliminated.

In addition to keeping the diaper area dry, it is important to keep the area as clean as possible. Some babies will develop a rash from the wipes used to cleanse the diaper area. I found that the Lansinoh wipes were the best for sensitive skin. If use of a fragrance-free, alcohol-free wipe still does not clear up the rash, try a washcloth with plain warm water. My youngest son had extremely sensitive skin and we found that an old cotton T-shirt cut into washcloth sized pieces worked the best.

Once the diaper area is clean and dry, the last part of the solution is to use a barrier cream on the baby's bottom. Of all of the various diaper ointments and creams, I found that Boudreaux's Butt Paste worked the best for the times that my sons developed a rash.

If these precautions are taken and the baby is still sporting a red tush, other causes should be investigated. If cloth diapers are being used, consider changing the laundry detergent or running the diapers through an additional rinse cycle. Occasionally the detergent or bleach may not be completely rinsed out of the fabric and may be causing the irritation. In the case of disposable diapers, consider changing brands. There may be something in the processing that is causing an irritation. The brand of diaper wipes may also be a contributing factor. The last area for investigation would be diet, either the mother's if the child is breast-feeding or the child's. A food allergy or something as simple as the acidic content of the food could be at the root of the problem.

Should the rash continue despite all efforts to treat it, see your child's pediatrician.

Learn more about this author, Mairead Walpole.
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